Braided or Non-Braided Line when river fishing Salmon

[Guest Fishing For Life]

Hi everyone,

 

for the longest time, people have been telling me to use

"thin, transparent" lines when salmon fishing in the river,

because salmon/trout has good visions.

 

by doing so, i have lost over 20 salmons due to line breakage

(I am inexperienced, ofcourse)

 

however, this year, i have decided to use braided line to see if

it makes any difference.

 

my conclusion is that:

1. I was getting as many hits as other people who use 6lbs-mono lines or even more

2. My braided line never break which allows me to fight fish with no worries

3. 100% landing gurannteed! (30+ fish so far!!!)

 

Could someone explain this to me whether I have been lucky or it was an urban legend?

 

moreover, I was also told to use "shinny, neon -color hooks" instead of "black, dark metal finish hooks" .... what should I follow?

 

Thanks

[douG]

It sounds like you have things pretty much figgered out all by yourself. That's the best way.

[bassjnkie]

Dude looks like you catching on whatever line and hook your using. If I listened to every person out there, i would probably have to get a morgage.

 

Neon hooks, has to be mustad. It's up to you. "If it ain't broke don't fix it!"

 

Fishing is trial and error.

 

By the way I use braid on everything (with flouro leader of course), except my pin and love it.

 

 

 

Daniel

OCH

[Guest Fishing For Life]

Uhm ....

 

I just use 10lb PowerPro striaght without leaders and still keep catching like crazy ...

 

I know fishing is all about trial and error

but it is kinda embrassing to realize that I have always been the ONLY one who

uses setup different from other people's ..

 

any suggestions?

[muddler]

I don't usually get invovled with discussions about what is the best line,rod,reel or other equipment. Trial and error usually is the best teacher, but there area lot of myths out there too.

 

Many years ago (35 I think) Al Linder wrote an article about light lines and landing large pike, bass and walleye for a magazine called Fishing Facts (still in publication). He described a demonstartion that I tried at home. Take a 16 OZ can of beans or something which will weigh about 1 pound or close too it. Tie it to your line and then try and lift it with your rod. I had a couple of old broken fiberglass rods that the top few inches were broken off that I had repaired. Each broke lifting a pound weight. The line didn't break, the rods broke. So why was I using 12+ lb test line? Soon I learned the mechanics of using the spring of the rod and the stretch of the line to land some big fish on 4 lb test.

 

Even then I would loose a few due to line/knot breakage. I found that good knots and properly seated knots were a key. The line had to be cared for and checked before each outing.

 

The guides on the rod I was using had to be checked for nicks and dirt too.

 

I still use my bulk 8lb mono that is stored in a cool dark place in the basment to respool my spinning rods. These bulk spool are over 15 years old.

 

I build, rebuild and repair my old rods as I need to before each season.

 

Technique for landing a fish is very important too. I use the heaviest tackle I can get away with for river fising as I often will find nicks on the lend of my line. The heavier lines are more forgiving for abuse that the lighter stuff.

 

Now having said all this, what I often see happen to most of those that have breakoff problems, is not checking their tackle regularly on the stream. When everything is brand spanking new there isn't too much of a problem. After a couple of outing lots can go wrong. Hese's a few.

 

1. Gear stored in the trunk for weeks on end as the tempertaure gets real high...heat kills mono lines.

2. Scored guides. Yes they wear out. braided lines can realy damage lowere quality guides on a long run from a good fish in no time.

3. I got a great deal on ______ rod. Yes but the guides are poorer quality. You pay for what you get.

4. Poor knots. Check and retie the knots after every hit.

5. Horsing in a large fish BEYOND the capabilities of your tackle.

6. Using spring floats. These will damage your line. Use surgical tubing

7. Heat dissapation of the guides when a strong fish makes that long run. Heat generated from friction on the guides can ruin a line in seconds.

 

 

It doesn't matter too much what you use as long as you know HOW to use it. The best float fisherman I ever saw wa a guy on the Notty years ago. He used an Ambassador Baitcasting real with 10lb mainline in freespool on a 10.5 cstom made baitcasting rod. Actually it was a fly rod with a baitcasting handle. His presentaion was great, but once he hooked a fish his technique was great. He landed the fish quickly by minimizing the length of the line that was out and keeping his rod low when possible. He was always checkig his line ANY time his float went down, for any reason.

 

Yes, trial and error will teach you how to fish more effectively. There are NO easy answers.

 

Muddler

[Guest gbfisher]

with the right combo rod and line...6 lb or less will do in most 15 to 20 lb fish...if they have the bait in their mouth!!!

 

Braid with no leader will not do you well when the water clears and the salmon die off.

 

but use what ever works for you!!!

Edited October 11, 2007 by gbfisher

[Guest Fishing For Life]

Hi all,

 

thanks for all replies, really appreciated it

 

However, answers I was looking for are

soemthing like whether THIN line helps you to get hits from Salmon/Trout or not

 

Thanks

[Guest gbfisher]

YES!....THIN LINE IS BETTER!!...but I said that in a round about way all ready....

[xrap]

People say salmon don't eat when they enter the river sytem. When they swim with their mouths open they swim into your hook I think it's called "flossing" not sure. So you can pretty much be fishing with 100lb test and a cherry at the end of your hook and most likely you will get a salmon. Some people think that salmon do eat while their in the river and hit spoons out of aggression, and I totally agree with that too, but Most of them don't. When I first started salmon fishing I only had 1 rod so I used it for everything and I had Power pro on it. I caught salmon but then when I got addicted to steelhead fishing I never got a bump. You could have some success fishing with power pro for steelies probally when the water coulor is more dirty but you will get alot more hits using lighter line, and not braided.